Auckland Veterans' Home Board ...

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 193, 16 August 1941, Page 16

Auckland Veterans' Home Board .. .

"THAT this association views with disgust the appointment of those now constituting the personnel of the Auckland Veterans* Home Board and its committee and protests against the fact that this association is not represented on the committee and has only one representative on the board." The above resolution was passed at a meeting of the Auckland R.S.A. and was the cause of much outspoken comment by the members after an explanation had been made bv the president, Mr. J. W. Kendall/ The position hriefly is that consequent on the winding up of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association, founded in 1915. a body entitled the Auckland Veterans' Home Board had been set up bv Order-in-Council, incorporated under the provisions of the War Funds Act, i)ls. Also constituted under the Order

is a committee consisting of 8 members with the officers of the board ex officio, who "shall hold office till the annual meeting." (The annual general meeting of the board will be held in May each year. The Order-in-Council was dated May last). The Main Complaint The main cause of complaint by the R.S.A. Is that in the membership of the board of the institution, dealing exclusively with returned soldiers, provision is made for only one representative of the R.S.A. amongst a membership of nearly 90 which includes the chairman of practically every municipal bodv in the province, the Mayor of Auckland and of every suburban borough, the chairman of every town board, road board and every countv council, besides a long list of private citizens and ecclesiastical dignitaries; while on the committee of eight members, plus the chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer, the R.S.A. has been entirely ignored and is not represented by a member.

Surprise was expressed at the large membership of the board to administer an institution which could accommodate only up to 45 veterans and has at present something like 32 in residence, many of whom have fought in wars previous to 1914. The right of using the funds raised by the people of Auckland province for the benefit of men who fought in the 1914-18 war for purposes other than those for which the people subscribed several hundred thousands when there were still men needing assistance was also raised and strongly condemned by some speakers. It was contended that there was no moral justification for such action and that the public should have been consulted before such a step was taken. The inmates of the Veterans' Home, it was explained later bv Mr. Kendall, contributed to their" own keep from the pensions they drew. A recipient of a pension under £65 is not charged, but payment of board ranges from 15/ per week on a pension of £65 a year to 28/ a week on a pension of £180. Pavments for board last year amounted to £1117. It was also made clear that the association was not criticising the management of the home, which is in the hands of a returned soldier of the last war, and was reported to be highly satisfactory. There are in trie Home to-dav, 32 veterans. 18 of whom were at the Great War, 12 at the South African \\ ar, and two at other campaigns.